Microsoft's Kinect Could Be Used For Weight Management For Astronauts

Dec 28, 2011 12:28

It looks like Kinect could be going to space too. The gaming system's sensors could be adapted to next gen weight measurement systems on board the International Space Station to monitor an astronaut's weight. The Kinect would relay data via 3D modeling and require less space compared to the current equipment.

The prototype system is Carmelo Velardo, a computer scientist who fitted the sensors of the Kinect with body tracking cameras to produce a 3D image of an astronaut. The information it collects goes into a statistical model linked to weight against the body measurements of 28,000 people in the database.

The system is about 97 percent accurate, and is comparable to the current method being used and the sensors are being proposed to be mounted in the walls of the ISS so that it takes up less space.

Accurate weight measurements important because it gives an indication of how healthy an astronaut is. A short trip to space can cause muscles to atrophy due to the lack of use or resistance. You can lose up to 15 percent in body mass in just a few weeks up in space.

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